Job Maseko: Intwari ya South Africa muri WW2 itarahawe Victoria Cross

Job Maseko, umunya-Africa y'Epfo wabaye intwari mu ntambara ya kabiri y'isi, yimwe ishimwe rikuru rya gisirikare kuko yari umwirabura, nk'uko impirimbanyi zibivuga, umuryango we ushyigikiye ko yahabwa icyubahiro n'ubwo atakiriho.

Intwari y'intambara Lance Corporal Job Maseko yapfuye ari umukene mu 1952.

Yagonzwe na gari ya moshi mu mpanuka ibabaje ubwo yari afite imyaka 36 gusa, ibikorwa bye kandi byashoboraga guhita byibagirana.

Imyaka 10 mbere yaho, ubwo yari imfungwa y'intambara, yakoze ibintu biturika bikozwe ako kanya aturitsa ubwato bw'Abadage i Tobruk muri Libya.

Ageze iwabo muri Africa y'Epfo, uko yafashwe, ugereranyije n'abandi barwanyi b'abazungu, bigaragaza politiki y'ivanguramoko yariho icyo gihe - ndetse hari abavuga ko byanakomereje ku buryo yahembewe ubwo butwari.

Yahawe umudari wa gisirikare "ku gikorwa cy'ubutwari" ariko Bill Gillespie, atekereza ko yimwe Victoria Cross (VC), ishimwe ry'ikirenga. Uyu ari guharanira ko arihabwa ubu.

'Agahinda n'ishema'

Umuryango wa Maseko urabishyigikiye.

Mwishywa we Jennifer Nkosi Maaba ari gushyira indabo ku mva ya nyirarume, yabwiye BBC ati: "Ntewe ishema n'ibyo yakoze ariko nanone, hari agahinda. Iyo aba umusirikare w'umuzungu yari kuba yarahawe iryo shimwe [ry'ikirenga]".

Abanyafurika y'epfo basaga 80,000 barwanye mu ngabo za Native Military Corps (NMC). Nyuma y'intambara, bahawe amagare n'inkweto, rimwe na rimwe n'isuti (costume), nk'ibihembo. Abasirikare b'abazungu bahawe inzu n'ubutaka.

Abategetsi bwa Africa y'Epfo icyo gihe nabo ntibahise bishimira cyangwa bagaragaza igikorwa cya Maseko.

Abari mu ngabo za NMC ntibahabwaga imbunda, bitwazaga intwaro gakondo, bagakora nk'abakozi basanzwe, abazamu cyangwa imirimo y'ubuvuzi.

Maseko nawe, yari umwikorezi w'ingabo muri Africa ya ruguru, aho yanitaga ku nkomere kenshi hagati mu mirwano.

Guturitsa ubwato

Ariko yaje kuba imfungwa y'intambara mu kwa gatandatu 1942 ubwo umukuriye yamanikaga intwaro ku ngabo z'Abadage i Tobruk. Aha hafi y'inyanja ari imfungwa yashyizwe mu bikorezi bapakurura amato.

Akoresheje ubumenyi yavanye mu birombe bya zahabu muri Africa y'Epfo, ku wa 21 z'ukwa karindwi Maseko yujuje ubumara bw'amasasu mu gacupa k'icyuma agashyira iruhande rw'utugunguru twa petrol bituma bituritsa ubwato bwahise burohama, nk'uko byavuzwe n'abategetsi bavuga ku mudari wa gisirikare yahawe.

Nkosi Maaba avuga ku gikorwa cya nyirarume cyo mu myaka hafi 80 ishize, ati: "Ku butwari bwe akwiriye ibirenze umuguru umwe w'inkweto n'igare... Akwiriye iyo Victoria Cross kuko ubutwari bwe bwerekanye ubuhangange bw'igisirikare cya Africa y'Epfo."

Bwana Gillespie, uri inyuma y'umuhate wo kugira ngo Maseko ahabwe VC, yumva ko ibara ry'uruhu rwa Maseko ari yo mpamvu yatumye adahabwa kiriya gihembo na Africa y'Epfo.

Uyu mugabo nawe ufite se warwaniye Africa y'Epfo mu ntambara ya kabiri y'isi, ati: "Sinshidikanya ko...umudari wa gisirikare wari igihembo cyo kubikiza gusa".

Neville Lewis, umunyabugeni w'icyo gihe mu ntambara wa Africa y'Epfo, avuga ko Maseko "yari yatanzwe nk'ukwiye Victoria Cross ariko 'kuba gusa umunyafurika' byatumye ahabwa umudari wa gisirikare", nk'uko biri mu nyandiko JS Mohlamme yatangaje muri kinyamateka ya gisirikare muri Africa y'Epfo.

Umukozi ucunga inzu ndangamurage wa gisirikare, inzu yerekana cyane ishusho ya Maseko, yemera ko yari akwiye guhabwa ririya shimwe risumba ayandi.

Alan Sinclair yabwiye BBC ati: "Ukuri kubabaje ni uko abirabura b'abanya-Africa y'Epfo bagiye gufasha ingabo, kimwe na bagenzi babo b'abazungu, bo bafashwe nabi. Ubwanjye ntekereza ko Bwana Maseko yari akwiye kuba yarahawe VC".

Ariko ikigo Victoria Cross Trust, gikora akazi ko gusigasira amateka y'abahawe iyo midari, kivuga ko hashobora kuba hari izindi mpamvu zatumye Maseko adahabwa iryo shimwe.

Keith Lumley, umukuru w'icyo kigo, ati: "Nta gushidikanya ko ibyo Job yakoze mu kudurumbanya ubwo bwato ari ikintu gikomeye cyashoboraga no gutuma apfa iyo afatwa.

"Ariko icyo gihe bisa n'aho bitageze ku rwego rwo guhabwa VC kuko nta wabihamije. Mu gihe nta gushidikanya ko yakoze ibyo yakoze...ariko nta muntu wamubonye abikora."

Ku ruhande rwa minisiteri y'ingabo y'Ubwongereza, biboneka ko urwego rw'ishimwe rye rushobora kutazazamurwa.

Nubwo yemera ubutwari bw'Abanyafurika mu ntambara ya kabiri y'isi, umuvugizi yabwiye BBC mu butumwa bwa email ati: "Ntidushobora guhindura imidari yatanzwe mbere kuko tudashobora kwemeza uko byari bimeze cyangwa kugereranya amashimwe hagati y'ibintu byabaye mu myaka myinshi ishize".

'Ishusho ya Job'

Umuhate wa Bwana Gillespie kugira ngo iyo minisiteri ihindure ibitekerezo wahuye n'ingorane ubwo ubusabe ko inteko y'Ubwongereza yiga iki kibazo bwanzwe. Bwanzwe kuko bene ubu busabe budashobora gusabira umuntu guhabwa ishimwe.

Ariko yizera ko hakwiye gukorwa ibirenzeho ngo ubutwari bwa Maseko bwubahwe kandi buvugwe.

Ati: "Turahuze tuganira ku gukuraho amashusho ariko se ahubwo uwakubaka ishusho ya Job...muri ubwo buryo yakwibukwa iteka.

Bwana Lumley hari icyizere atanga.

Avuga ko Teddy Sheean, umusirikare wa Australia yahawe ishimwe rya VC mu kwa 11 umwaka ushize nyuma y'imyaka 50 umuryango we ubihirimbanira ku gikorwa uwo musirikare yakoze mu 1942.

Ati: "Rero no kuri Job hari ibigikeneye gukorwa kugira ngo ayo makuru arenzeho aboneke kugira ngo VC ibe imukwiriye."

Gusa mu mujyi w'iwabo, Kwa-Thema muri Springs, umurage wa Maseko uracyariho. Umuhanda mukuru n'ishuri byaramwitiriwe n'urukuta runini rwashushanyijweho ishusho ye.

Ku mva ye, mwishywa we yishimiye uburyo inkuru ya nyirarume yongeye kugarukwaho.

Areba ku ibuye ryo kuri iyo mva, Nkosi Maaba ati: "Ukomeje kwibukwa marume, komeza uruhukire mu mahoro."

Nomsa Maseko ni mwenewabo wa kure wa Job Maseko ariko nta ruhare afite mu muhate w'umuryango wa hafi wa Job.